The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
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Help CRA Rethink Its GTA Modernization Plan: Send a Letter to Your MP

PIPSC is encouraging AFS members negatively impacted by the Canada Revenue Agency’s Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Service Modernization plan to write to your Member of Parliament to express your concerns. If we all act together and apply pressure now, we can help force the CRA to reconsider this wrongheaded decision.  Send the letter below or write your own letter.

To find your Member of Parliament and their contact information, use this helpful site by entering your home postal code. https://lop.parl.ca/ParlInfo/Compilations/HouseOfCommons/MemberByPostalCode.aspx?Menu=HOC

Send the letter below to your MP today!

Dear _____, MP

I am writing to convey my serious concerns about the recently announced Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Service Modernization plan at the Canada Revenue Agency. As my Member of Parliament, I wanted to ensure you were apprised of the situation. This is a significant change for the approximately 2,000 employees who are members of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC). The most affected are the 1,000 of our members who will be transferred from their current work location to one of the following tax services offices: Toronto West (Mississauga), Toronto North (North York), Toronto East (Scarborough) and Toronto Centre (Downtown).

Given the size of the GTA, this change will have a significant impact on employees and their families. They will have a longer commute, which will impact their work-life balance and will mean incurring greater travel expenses. In fact, the proposed change does not support Prime Minister Trudeau’s commitment to improving work-life balance for federal employees; it worsens it.

Since they are committed to their public service careers, professionals working at the CRA have made housing decisions based on their place of work. Without a doubt, this will significantly impact them, their families and their ability to participate in their communities. It will wreak havoc on child care, schooling and elder care arrangements. It is disheartening to observe the lack of sensitivity shown employees when the CRA totally ignores such concerns.

Given the advanced ability for employees to connect electronically, insisting on disruptive moves also seems very short-sighted. As it stands, we have many questions and concerns that remain unanswered.

Canada Revenue Agency has operated successfully for decades with the current structure within the GTA. Similar to the closure of Veterans Affairs offices, this change will worsen the quality of services for Canadians. Taxpayers will now have to travel across the GTA if they need to visit a tax service office, incurring the same frustration, lost time and expense that our members will have to incur on a daily basis. If this is a cost savings measure we oppose that it be done at the expense of employees and Canadians.

I am asking that you use your power and influence to halt the implementation of the GTA Service Modernization plan and look at ways that service delivery to Canadians can be continued and improved without causing unnecessary disruption to the lives of employees who deliver these key services.

Sincerely,